Rail-bond



(Ho Model.)

F. E. BUXTON.

RAIL B0111).

No. 564,968. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

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FRANK E. BUXTON, OF XVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAI L-BOND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,968, dated August4, 1896. Application filed November 29, 1895. Serial No. 570,401. (Nomodel.)

To all; 1071,0777, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. BUXTON, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Worcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBail- Bonds, of which the following is a specification.

lhe object of my invention is to provide a bond for forming an electricconnection between the rails of an electric railway which may beconstructed at small cost, may be quickly and easily applied, and whichwill insure a good electric contact between the bond and the rails and amechanical joint so perfect as to prevent corrosion. This object Isecure by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan view of two rails with their tops partlybroken away so as to show in partial section the fish-plates uniting thewebs of two contiguous rails and the bond connecting the rails. Fig. 2is a plan view of part of one rail, the top being broken away and partof the bond and the connection between the bond and the web of the railbeing shown in section. Fig. 3 shows in perspective a view of one end ofthe bond with a bushing surrounding it and the wedge for securingcontact between the bushings and the webs of the rails.

In the drawings, A B are two rails united by fish-plates in. the usualmanner.

1 is a bond, preferably of copper wire, connecting the two rails. Thebond at its extremities is reduced in cross-section and is surrounded bybushings 2, adapted to fit within perforations in the webs of the rails.

3 indicates wedge-shaped pins adapted on their inner faces to have asuitable bearing upon the extremities of the boncbwire and upon theirouter surfaces conforming in shape to the inner faces of the bushings 2.

' The application of my bond-wire is very simple. Perforations ofsuitable size having been made in the webs of the rails, the bushings 2are placed within the perforations and the extremities of the bond-wireare carried through the bushings sufficiently to project somewhat uponthe opposite side of the web. The wedge-shaped pieces 3 are theninserted within the bushings 2 and driven home with suflicient force toexpand the bushing into perfect contact with the surface of theperforations in the rails, thus making a perfect joint.

In practice I prefer to use a copper wire for the bond, copper bushings,and steel wedges.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric rail-bond comprising a bondwire with terminals diminishedin cross-section, bushings surrounding said terminals, and withinperforations in the rails, and wedge-shaped pins adapted to be drivenbetween the terminals and the bushings, whereby the latter may beexpanded and a close contact secured between the bond and the rails,substantially as described.

2. The combination of rails having suitable perforations formed therein,bushings within said perforations, a bond-wire with terminalsdiminishing in cross-section, adapted to have bearings within saidbushings, and wedges whereby the bushings may be expanded and thebondand rails firmly united, substantially as described.

3. The combination of rails having suitable perforations formed therein,bushings within said perforations, a bond-wire with terminalssemicircular in cross-section, adapted to have bearings within saidbushings, and wedge- Witnesses:

R. M. WAsHBURN, O. G. Wasnnnnn.

